Analyzing this chord progression

[neueliteratur]

Hello folks,

I've been trying to analyze this chord progression, but I can't really figure out what's happening here.

I would appreciate your help.

Cm/Eb G7/D | Cm Fm7 | Em7 A7 | Am7(b5) D7 | GM7 G+ | C#-7(b5) F#7

I bet there are key changes going on, but I don't know where and how.

Thank you,

[Ogg Vorbis]

Hello folks,

I've been trying to analyze this chord progression, but I can't really figure out what's happening here.

I would appreciate your help.

Cm/Eb G7/D | Cm Fm7 | Em7 A7 | Am7(b5) D7 | GM7 G+ | C#-7(b5) F#7

I bet there are key changes going on, but I don't know where and how.

Thank you,

Are you familiar with ii V I progressions? (or ii0 V# i).

If not, here's the nickle tour of the power of 2-5-1...

- Basically "chord progressions" (eek gad I hate that word...) are there to establish a tonality (key center).

- Tonal centers can be permanent (the key of the whole tune).

- Tonal centers can be temporary. These are also called "modulations" because they change, or modulate the tonality from tonal center to tonal center. \

- Temporary tonal centers are GOOD! If you sit there in one key for the whole track, you are going to have a very flat and unvaried sound. It would be like the neighbor that only talks about one topic all the time (like how his corns hurt). Boring...

- "Cadences" establish key. Cadence means "close." It's like a period at the end of a sentence. A cadence in music is an audible establishment of tonal center that says, "you've arrived!"

- Cadences can be used to establish permanent OR temporary tonalities (keys).

- The strongest cadences (harmonically speaking) are V to I. That's a major triad built on the fifth degree of the tonal center (either temporary or permanent) that resolves to the I.

- To prepare the V to I, you can have a IV (or iv) harmony. This involves a stepwise movement in the root.

- You can also prepare the V with a ii harmony. This is VERY strong. It's like covelent bonds in chemistry....very strong... because the root movement is up a fourth and then up another fourth. The other voices move very nicely to prepare the leading tones into a very satisfying resolution (cadence).

- Okay. You can start out in a key like A major. So a 2-5-1 would be Bm E7 and then A. Very establishing, eh? No question what key we're in. But keep going...you can then establish another temporary key to end the next phrase. So let's abruptly go to some other key...like F#m. Okay, so go from A to G#dim to C#7 to F#m. That's 2 5 1 in the new key...F#m.

What you can notice is that F#m is also the ii harmony in the key of E. Want variey and emphasis in your tune? Try establishing all these other keys, then modulate to the dominant right before your last phrase where you modulate back to the home key... like taking your listeners on a journey...So F#m B7 and E. Voila...we're now temporarily in E-land.

These are very course examples. You'd have to make your melodic line and your phrases very logical through these modulations to make them work, but I've given you a very skeletal and conceptual framework.

The point is that 2 5 1 is like discovering a magic wormhole to travel from any tonality to any other tonality. It's very powerful, no lie. Go through any fakebook of standards and just look for 2 5 1's. They're freaking everywhere! From Gershwin to Porter to McCartney to Berlin to what's on the radio this morning.

But even if you use a segment of the 2 5 1, it's very powerful because of that strong up a fourth root movement. You can totally tease your listeners by doing 2 5 and then 2 5 in another key and then a 2 5 in another key! It's similar to how good lovers work. They don't just get to the finish right away, they satisfy you with a tease and then satisfy THAT tease by teasing in another way.

That's what's going on in your example...

Cm/Eb G7/D | Cm Fm7 | Em7 A7 | Am7(b5) D7 | GM7 G+ | C#-7(b5) F#7

What's the root movment in the second bar? Up a 4th, right? How about the next bar? Up a 4th. Next bar? Up a 4th. From the next bar to the next bar? Yup, up a 4th. The movement in the last bar? Up a 4th.

The third bar seems like it's setting up a cadence in D major. But then the dominant "collapses" on itself and transforms itself into the ii(dim) the key of G minor. The GM7 in the next bar is a bit of a surprise but in the next bar it seems to be setting up a cadence in B minor.

What's happening is like a series of unsatisfied cadences. Rather than completing it just builds another cadence and then builds another cadence.

The way this phrase probably ends is by a 2 5 1 somewhere (I hope). Clearly, this is a partial example because it doesn't really establish either a permanent or even a temporary tonal center.

Here's a fun thing. Sit down at your instrument of choice and pick a key. Improvise a melody that logically completes a phrase by means of a ii V I. Then have a friend yell out a totally different key. Play the next phrase and improvise a melody. Use a 2 5 1 in that new key. See if you can get back home with a cadence in the home key. Then have your friend yell out another random key... and so on.

You'll see that you have direct access to any tonal center you want. Once you've got that down you'll be unstoppable. Then you can do the 2 5, 2 5, 2 5, tease and drive your listeners crazy. Be sure to finally give them release though. Unresolved tonality can lead to stroke or heart failure.

-

[aquar]

Ogg Vorbis,

your post certainly opened another musical worm hole for me.
appreciated.

[jancivil]

That's what's going on in your example...

@ bar 3: | Em7 A7 | A-7b5 D7 | GM7 G+ | C#-7b5 F#7


The third bar seems like it's setting up a cadence in D major. But then the dominant "collapses" on itself and transforms itself into the ii(dim) the key of G minor.

jazz out of the bop school does this constantly -
*I is the new ii*; major to minor quality. (I'd be careful calling a minor 7 b5 a diminished chord, it's slightly gay. even to yo mama, it's a 'half diminished'.)

also, *V is the new ii*. This, anticipation of function, pushes you forward.


look at the 'surprising' chord as if a substitute for what you may expect. Major 7, relative to minor. GM7 = Em9.
Now, that G+ chord, in terms of ii-V, think of it as A9b5, or A9 #11.

beyond this, look for the flat 5 substitute, typically for V. see that G aug to C#-7b5? that's an anticipation; C#-9b5 is the same thing as G+/C#.

I first found this in a Mickey Baker book when I was about 17; here's a way to continue this mechanically (then make some tweaks so it's not a drag): That F#7, give it a b5. It's the same as C7b5. So, according to bar 4,

C-7b5 | F7{b5}...
you can make that F-7 add 11; now move the minor 7 interval of that chord {F Eb} down a semitone: {E D} while suspending the other two voices {Ab Bb}. This gives you E7b5. [E D G# Bb]. Now make that maj/min7 chord the minor7 ("ii type") chord: E min 7 add 11; move E and D down to Eb Db while suspending G and A, for an Eb7b5.

switch it up here, with another kind of substitution such I touched on in the prev paragraph.
ad infinitum...

or this maybe should be place of repose depending on rhythmic flow and/or the tune. DM7?


Repeat and rinse.

[Ogg Vorbis]

Hello folks,

I've been trying to analyze this chord progression...

Congratulations for having the bravery of actually rolling up your sleeves and trying to take apart the harmonies of a song. No one has ever died from analysis (at least no newspaper headlines that I've seen) but many have benefited.

And lots of people will show up to help if you're willing to do a lot of heavy lifting yourself. Good luck!

[No_Use]

[...]

-

Wow, you have an informative and entertaining writing style.
Your explanation was clear to follow for me and I'm not a "harmony n stuff" pro.

Thanks.

[neueliteratur]

Thanks a lot Ogg Vorbis.

I don't really understand your explanation right now, but I'm gonna read it again and again until I do.

Thanks.

[neueliteratur]

- To prepare the V to I, you can have a IV (or iv) harmony. This involves a stepwise movement in the root.

What does "stepwise movement" mean?

Anyways, I now understand your explanation.

It's amazing.

Thank you so much.

[geroyannis]

What does "stepwise movement" mean?

It means that the bass line moves in consecutive steps from the used scale (usually half steps or whole steps). Like from F to G, or from B to C.

[neueliteratur]

What does "stepwise movement" mean?

It means that the bass line moves in consecutive steps from the used scale (usually half steps or whole steps). Like from F to G, or from B to C.

OK, thanks.

Today I saw a bunch of jazzmen play, the pianist left his paper, so I stole it.

It said:

||: C-7 | C-7 | G-7 | C7 |
| F | F | F-7 | Bb7 |
| Eb | Eb-7 Ab7 | Db | Dm7(b5) G7(b9) |

Which I could analyze very easily with Ogg Vorbis's explanation.

C-7, G-7 : I V progression in Cm
G-7, C7, F: two-five-one progression in F
F-7, Bb7, Eb: 251 in Eb
Eb-7, Ab7, Db: 251 in Db

But the last bar annoys me.

Dm7(b5) and G7.

D half-diminished is in the diatonic harmony of the key of C minor, but G7 isn't.

How do I analyze this G7? It would've been neat if it were Gm7, because that's in the diatonic harmony of C minor.

[jancivil]

G7 is V of C whatever. Period.

In functional harmonic music of a large number of common practices, it's probably more common in C minor than G minor. Because it's a stronger move to Cm; you already have a strong root movement of the rising fourth, so the implication is there but not as strong as can be.

the tone B which is giving you an issue, is the leading tone to C. Historically it goes back to The Church and altering the modes; it was once termed (a form of) musica ficta, aka accidentals.

It give you C D Eb F G Ab B, the harmonic minor mode.

In an avoidance of an at one time somewhat undesirable interval, the augmented second Ab to B, it gives you the melodic minor mode ascending: C D Eb F G A B.

Dm7b5 G7 Cm, is perhaps the most common progression in C minor over the past two hundred or more years. In classical it's often going to be seen in first inversion, F Ab C D (and a 'subdominant' function)...

ii7 V7 i. It's usually considered "diatonic".

[neueliteratur]

G7 is V of C whatever. Period.

In functional harmonic music of a large number of common practices, it's probably more common in C minor than G minor. Because it's a stronger move to Cm; you already have a strong root movement of the rising fourth, so the implication is there but not as strong as can be.

the tone B which is giving you an issue, is the leading tone to C. Historically it goes back to The Church and altering the modes; it was once termed (a form of) musica ficta, aka accidentals.

It give you C D Eb F G Ab B, the harmonic minor mode.

In an avoidance of an at one time somewhat undesirable interval, the augmented second Ab to B, it gives you the melodic minor mode ascending: C D Eb F G A B.

Dm7b5 G7 Cm, is perhaps the most common progression in C minor over the past two hundred or more years. In classical it's often going to be seen in first inversion, F Ab C D (and a 'subdominant' function)...

ii7 V7 i. It's usually considered "diatonic".

Cool, thank you very much.

Today, when I was playing something with other people, and when I was playing B7, this dude told me to do the "augmented second". So I thought it meant the tension #9, and he went "ah, nevermind".

I know what the interval augmented second means, but how is that expression usually used? (as in your post, and my experience from today)

thanks

[Ogg Vorbis]

Today I saw a bunch of jazzmen play, the pianist left his paper, so I stole it.

AWESOME! Good shoplift, my man! That's the spirit.

[geroyannis]

Today, when I was playing something with other people, and when I was playing B7, this dude told me to do the "augmented second". So I thought it meant the tension #9, and he went "ah, nevermind".

I know what the interval augmented second means, but how is that expression usually used? (as in your post, and my experience from today)

thanks

Were you playing something in E minor? Maybe he was asking you to play the augmented second C-D# which is in E harmonic minor.

[Ogg Vorbis]

Today, when I was playing something with other people, and when I was playing B7, this dude told me to do the "augmented second". So I thought it meant the tension #9, and he went "ah, nevermind".

I know what the interval augmented second means, but how is that expression usually used? (as in your post, and my experience from today)

thanks

Were you playing something in E minor? Maybe he was asking you to play the augmented second C-D# which is in E harmonic minor.

Hmm... could be the FLAT 9th in the dominant harmony in E minor...B7(-9)

That would give you the augmented second between C and D# that geroyannis pointed out.

This is a handy thing to know because if a cobra is threatening you, you can jam in E minor with lots of aug. 2nds (especially on an oboe) and it will cause the snake to just dance and sway harmlessly. I've seen Bugs Bunny do it!